Both MD and DO schools value shadowing very highly. However, DO schools are far more likely to require a letter from an osteopathic physician you have shadowed. The number of hours required for such letters tends to be around twenty or thirty, but you should always check the requirements of each target school. Pre-medical shadowing resources include:

• MD and DO: The UM Career Center has an excellent discussion of pre-medical shadowing on their website.

• MD: AAMC on shadowing.

• DO: AACOM on Shadowing.

• MD: For students from under-resourced backgrounds, Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Programs can provide shadowing opportunities (along with quite a bit more).

Also, if you happen to have the opportunity to do a great deal of shadowing (let’s say more than 100 hours), first of all congratulations! You’re part of a lucky few. However, make sure that you have the opportunity to interact directly with and learn from patients, too. If that’s not something that happens during the shadowing process, then it’s important to add new activities that do allow this.

It is common for dental schools to require shadowing.  For example, the University of Michigan Dental School requires at least 100 hours of shadowing prior to application. You can find other schools’ shadowing requirements in the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools. This shadowing does not have to be part of a formal program. Volunteering in a dental clinic, where you have the chance to observe dentists as they work, will count for this. The most common way to gain shadowing experiences is to contact dentists or dental offices directly. Check out the ADEA’s website for more guidance on shadowing. 

NOTE: The University of Michigan School of Dentistry created a virtual course, called Dentistry 101, and made it available on Coursera in February 2019.  The course is designed for individuals who would like to know more about the dental profession before committing to it and those who are already sure it’s the right path for them (it includes comments from UM Dental’s own Director of Admissions).  The course consists of approximately 10 hours of content (all online) and can be taken for free. It is also possible to pay for a certificate of completion, which can then be listed on your dental school application.

If you are preparing to apply to PharmD programs, shadowing is less likely to be required, but it’s always a good idea and will help your application. Try to get experience with both clinical pharmacists and retail pharmacists.  For clinical pharmacy shadowing experiences you might need to work through a hospital’s volunteer office.

• Check the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmacy School Admission Requirements to see if your target school requires shadowing.

• Some pre-pharmacy students work as pharmacist assistants to get a sense of the professional environment before applying.

Optometry schools are likely to either require or strongly recommend shadowing. It is always  a good idea to shadow more than one practitioner (e.g. in a classic retail setting and in a more clinical setting), but shadowing is defined rather loosely, so volunteer work can in some cases count. The primary mode for getting a shadowing experience is to approach an optometrist (perhaps your own) directly.  

• ASCO: The Importance of Shadowing in Pursuing an Optometry Career.

• The Michigan College of Optometry recommends but does not require shadowing.

Because PA programs emphasize actual clinical experience, shadowing is far less likely to be required. That said, as you begin to prepare, it’s a good idea to contact some physician assistants to see if they will allow you to shadow them, so you can get a sense of the profession and whether it suits you.

While nursing schools do recommend or require patient interaction that will allow them to get a sense of your comfort with and capacity for caregiving, formal shadowing is not likely to be required as a prerequisite for admission.

Formal shadowing is not likely to be required, specifically, but check your target schools to be sure. Instead, requirements are phrased in terms of clinical hours. It’s important to try to get clinical hours involving both small and large animals.